SASC Hearings
Written By: Major Laura E. Cannon. MAJ Cannon is an Air Defense Artillery Officer serving as the Legislative Assistant to the Secretary of the Army. She is also the co-directing for the Weekly Interceptor Social Media Team.
Recently, the House Armed Service Committee conducted two necessary hearings that involve air and missile defense. The U.S. House Committee on Armed Services, commonly known as the House Armed Services Committee or HASC, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is responsible for funding and oversight of the Department of Defense (DoD) and the United States Armed Forces and substantial portions of the Department of Energy. Its regular legislative product is the National Defense Authorization Act, passed by Congress and signed into law each year since 1962.
The Armed Services Committee has jurisdiction over defense policy generally, ongoing military operations, the organization and reform of the Department of Defense and Department of Energy, counter-drug programs, acquisition, and industrial base policy, technology transfer and export controls, joint interoperability, the Cooperative Threat Reduction program, Department of Energy nonproliferation programs, and detainee affairs and policy.
The first Hearing was the House Armed Services Committee Subcommittee on Strategic Forces Hearing on FY22 Priorities for Missile Defense and Missile Defeat Programs on 15 June 2021. The Purpose of the Hearing was to evaluate the FY22 President's budget request in the context of DoD's missile defense and defeat policy, priorities, and requirements.
Regarding questions only on missile defense-- REP Turner's questions focused on impacts of continuing resolution on operations, research and development, and procurement. LTG Karbler stated that continuing resolution would impact the Army's ability to support testing at the Reagan Test Site. REP Langevin asked about the effectiveness of the missile defense network in a contested spectrum environment; LTG Karbler responded that the Army deploys cyber defense tools, consistently collects and analyses threat data, and works closely with Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to investigate and respond to any incident. REP Wilson asked about the status of the Army's Iron Dome batteries and if the Army will be purchasing more. LTG Karbler replied that the first battery would be ready for deployment in September and the second shortly after. LTG Karbler reserved the rest of the response for the closed session. REP Garamendi asked LTG Karbler about his priority in the arms control discussion. LTG Karbler replied that he is not in policy, but whatever agreement is made, it must be verifiable.
The next Hearing was the FY22 National Defense Authorization Budget Request for the Department of Defense on 23 June 2021.
BLUF: Concerns on the proposed FY22 Defense budget fell mainly along partisan lines, with Republican members expressing almost unanimous concern that the President's budget proposal was insufficient given China's ongoing investment in its military. Significant questioning lines touched on China's threat to Taiwan, the nuclear posture review, and Afghanistan. Several members spoke emotionally about the dangers faced by Afghan interpreters should the Taliban gain control of Afghanistan. Several Republican members criticized the SecDef's Extremism Stand-Down, leading to a forceful and eloquent defense of DoD policies by GEN Milley.
• Chairman Smith's opening statement emphasized that the proposed FY22 budget for DoD increased $12 billion over last year. He highlighted the need to focus on the value of funds spent and the importance of ensuring that programs meet their budget and fulfill their requirements. He also addressed modernization and the changing nature of warfare, the development of emerging technology, and bipartisan support for changing how the services handle Sexual Assault.
• Ranking Member Rogers' opening statement focused on China's emerging threat and what he described as a "wholly inadequate defense budget" to meet those threats. He was particularly critical of cuts to shipbuilding and future end-strength and asked about the UFR list.
To listen to the full hearings please visit the sites below.
https://armedservices.house.gov/hearings?ID=96198EAA-A14F-4F5E-A9BE- 56ABBC8A0A39
